Dear Colleagues,

We thank all organizations that participated the online consultation on the future support for civil society development in Central and Eastern Europe and in the next programming period 2009 - 2014 under the EEA Financial Mechanism and the Norwegian cooperation programme. On the grounds of these recommendations the Office of the EEA Financial Mechanism has developed New draft NGO Guideline, which can be found at www.eeagrants.org/ngoconsultation and again is subjected to extensive discussion.

Consultation timeline

The consultation period has been extended until 5 November 2010.

Target group

NGOs in the beneficiary states and donor states, as well as European umbrella organisations and other relevant stakeholders.

Scope of the consultation

In reviewing the proposals for future funding, the donor states are specifically interested in your contribution to the following key questions:

• To what extent does the proposed set-up cater for the key challenges in your country in developing an NGO Programme? (legislative framework and eligibility, capacity, administrative set-up, etc.)
• Which of the proposed expected outcomes in the programme area Funds for Non-Governmental organisations would be most relevant in addressing the needs and enhancing the role of civil society in your country in the context of an NGO Programme?
• What should be the areas of support in your country, related to the expected outcomes you feel most relevant for the Programme area Funds for Non-Governmental organisations?
• Which programme areas as defined in the programme papers should be supported in your country, to which NGOs, as eligible applicants, can make the best contribution? Please justify.

Please feel free to provide any other comments based on your analysis of the proposals or on your direct experience.

Contributions can either by made by posting directly in the online forum or by sending your input to: [email protected]

FLGR and BEPF as operators of the NGO Fund – Bulgaria invite Bulgarian civic sector representatives to join the online consultation and to enable the support for NGO sector in the next programming period to be focused and to meet real needs.